Avigilon enters PTZ camera market

Avigilon has made its foray into the PTZ market with the release of two new camera models.

Photo credit: (Photo courtesy Avigilon)

Avigilon, a Canadian-based manufacturer of video surveillance equipment, announced on Tuesday that it is entering the pan/tilt/zoom segment of the camera market.

Available in either a 1 or 2-megapixel model, the new PTZ cameras will operate on the company’s recently released H.264 video compression technology called the H3 platform.

According to Keith Marett, Avigilon’s vice president of marketing and communications, these new PTZ camera models are ideal for live, manned operations and a variety of vertical markets including retail environments, airports, petrochemical facilities, and casinos.

"The real cool thing about the launch (of these cameras) on the H3 platform is it’s not just about the new form factor and new type of camera, but it also works really well with our high-definition stream management technology," he explained. "That allows for us to deliver incredible image detail while minimizing bandwidth."

Marett said that the H3 technology allows for only the information that people need at a given point to be sent over the network, thereby saving users a substantial amount of bandwidth.

"If you’re looking at a full situation image, such as a parking lot, we only send you a low-res stream of imagery so it cuts down on your bandwidth usage," Marett said. "But, if you want to zoom into a license plate in that parking lot, then we send you a higher-res portion of that image. Therefore, you’re truly only using what you need versus standard methods in which a camera is streaming at full bandwidth most of the time. What we’ve done with the H3 platform is based on our previous H.264 technology; we’ve actually made further enhancements to it that’s allowed for four times more of a reduction in that bandwidth usage."

Marett said that having both a 1-megapixel and 2-megapixel model will provide users with flexibility when it comes to image quality.

"With a 2-megapixel camera, you’re going to cover a much wider area in higher detail than you would with a 1-megapixel camera. It gives a user, depending on their application, the flexibility to choose the product that is best for their needs," he said.